Iced Espresso

Need a quick pick me up? Try an iced espresso! This espresso drink is cool and refreshing, with a stronger flavor than iced coffee.

Want a cold coffee drink pick me up? Try Iced Espresso! This spin on iced coffee stars the bold, rich flavor of espresso. Drizzle in a little milk and a hint of simple syrup to balance out the flavor. It’s robust and beautifully refreshing: like a heightened take on your favorite iced coffee! Here’s how to make it.

What is iced espresso?

Iced espresso is espresso served over ice, often with milk. It’s similar to iced coffee, but it uses espresso instead of brewed coffee. Starbucks calls this drink is an iced shaken espresso: the espresso is shaken with ice and sweetener before serving. Either way, the bold flavor of the espresso makes the coffee flavor more concentrated than in a standard iced coffee. Here’s what you’ll need for this drink:

• 1 double shot espresso (2 ounces or ¼ cup)
• Milk of choice (1 ounce or 2 tablespoons)
• Simple syrup or vanilla syrup

Making the espresso

The main skill you need for an iced espresso? How to make espresso! Start with an espresso roast coffee: the roast is important to get the right dark, bitter flavor to an espresso shot. Some espresso coffee brands we recommend: Illy, Starbucks or Intelligentsia. Then, use your espresso making method of choice. There are lots of methods that work without a machine! Here’s what we recommend:

• Espresso machine: An espresso machine is the best option: it makes incredible espresso but it’s pricy.
• Portable espresso maker: A manual espresso maker is a great affordable option that makes very good espresso.
• French press: French press espresso also works well if you have this coffee tool.
• Moka Pot: Or, make very strong espresso-like coffee in a Moka Pot (Bialetti).

Go to How to Make Espresso for the full instructions for each method.

Best milk to use

With an iced espresso, you can use any type of milk because you’re not steaming or frothing it. Whole milk adds a nice richness, but you can use 2% for a lighter drink. If you’re looking for a vegan iced espresso, oat milk is a great option! It has as creamy flavor and a thicker body than other non-dairy milks. You can also use it to mimic Starbucks shaken oat milk iced espresso!

For the sweetener

An iced espresso is great with just a hint of sweet to balance out the bitter coffee. Here are our coffee sweeteners of choice:

• Simple syrup: It’s easy to make at home, and you can use for coffee or cocktails
• Maple syrup: A great natural sweetener for drinks! It adds sweetness but not maple flavor
• Honey or agave syrup: A few other natural sweeteners
• Vanilla syrup: Add a hint of vanilla with this homemade coffee syrup

How to make iced espresso

Once you’ve got the required ingredients, it takes no time at all to make an iced espresso. Here’s what to do:

• Make the espresso. See above!
• Drizzle in sweetener and milk.
• Serve over ice!

Want to step it up? A fun way is to add a dollop of cold foam on top! Go to How to Make Cold Foam for instructions.

Variation: iced brown sugar oat milk espresso!

A delicious variation on iced espresso? Try the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Espresso! This Starbucks special is a shaken espresso, which is an espresso that’s shaken with brown sugar syrup before adding the milk. With a hint of cinnamon, it’s incredibly satisfying! Head to the recipe for more.

More cold coffee and tea drinks

Love a good cold coffee? Here are all our favorite iced coffee drinks and tea lattes to try!

• Try the perfect Perfect Iced Latte or Iced Vanilla Latte
• Go for classic Iced Coffee, or an Iced Americano
• Opt for a Cold Brew Coffee or French Press Cold Brew, topped with Cold Foam!
• Try a tasty Iced Chai Latte or Iced Matcha Latte

01

Perfect Iced Latte

02

Cold Brew Coffee

03

Iced Chai Latte

04

Iced Matcha Latte

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